


Peace of Mind

by spiderlilies



Category: Black Sails
Genre: Alternate Universe - Happy, F/F, Nassau is home
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-01
Updated: 2016-04-01
Packaged: 2018-05-30 14:29:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6427654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiderlilies/pseuds/spiderlilies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anne and Eleanor team up to protect Queen Max from the creatures of the sand.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Peace of Mind

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [CaptainRivaini](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainRivaini/pseuds/CaptainRivaini) in the [pirate_prompts_2016](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/pirate_prompts_2016) collection. 



> Alright, I caved and did something for the Pirate Prompts. This is sort of an expansion of my Ithaca universe, but it also can be read standalone for the prompt. ^.^ And you said it didn't have to be tragic, so I kind of went the complete opposite direction. Hope you still like it~!
> 
>  **Prompt:** I'd love to read something where Eleanor and Anne have to team up (AGAIN) despite their antagonism with each other in order to save Max. Doesn't need to be from something completely tragic. Can be AU of any sort!

There were few things Max hated more than the scorching, itchy sand that was sticking to her toes, but crabs were an abomination as far as she was concerned. Creatures should not have eyes on stems protruding out of their heads. Dozens of those monstrosities currently had her frozen in her path as they scuttled on the tips of their needle-like legs over the beach.

Max should never have allowed Eleanor to convince her to come here, and all because Thomas Hamilton told them of his fun in the water. _You’ve worked just as hard as James, you should take a break as well_ , he had said. Yes, Max felt that they deserved a bit of leisure, but the fucking beach was not her idea of a relaxing time.

She had expected Anne to share her feelings and, even if Anne was fonder of the beach, Max had assumed she would decline Eleanor’s suggestion on principle simply because it was _Eleanor’s_ suggestion. Those two never agreed on anything.

So, naturally, when they agreed it would be to Max’s detriment, but with the two of them finally not at each others throats over a matter, she couldn't bring herself to speak up against the idea.

Today was their day to get away from the months of work it had taken to get Nassau in civil, working order. Max had handed the control of  _The Harbour_ to Idelle, and Eleanor gave Mister Scott her ledgers, while Anne slipped away from  _Calico Jack's._ It was their day. Crabs be damned.

Anne and Eleanor were further down the shoreline, both in light colored frocks with their hair tied back. Max didn't think Anne owned a single dress of her own, which meant Eleanor had lent it to her. They were trying hard to make this all work, which Max appreciated more than they knew. Surprisingly, they even seemed to be enjoying themselves. Each building a fort of sand, and bickering over which would withstand an attack better. Max imagined both of the fragile structures would fair better than her. A crab crawled towards her, staring at her with those black eyes, and she was ready to wave a white flag. There were many things she would do for Anne and Eleanor, but even she had her limits. 

Then, in a sneak attack, there was a prickling sensation on the top of her foot and that was the end of her trying to bear it for her two lovers. Max screamed at the top of her lungs. 

Anne was next to her in a second and Max latched onto her arm, gripping tighter than necessary. 

“What the fuck happened?" Anne asked, looking around for something far more dangerous than a crab no doubt. 

Eleanor remained by her fort, looking concerned, but also noticing that there was nothing Max should have been so worked up over. 

"They are the sharks of the land, they smell fear, those creatures of the sand," Max said with vitriol.

Eleanor looked about again only briefly before incredulously asking, "What? The crabs?"

Max only glared. 

"Don't like 'em?" Anne asked while obviously holding back a smile. 

" _Je les déteste !_ I thought that I could manage it for the both of you, but there are so many of them," Max waved her hand at the ground, where a grand total of four crabs still stared at her. She didn't care how unreasonable it was, she was not passing them. 

"I don't like chickens," Eleanor said as some kind of consolation. 

That was no help to Max at all but Anne did chuckle at that, which made Eleanor go on the defensive of course. 

"What? The bloody things can fly up and peck out your eye if you aren't careful. I've been chased by them before!" Eleanor explained with annoyance. 

Before this could turn into a shouting match of some kind, Max cut in, "Can we deal with the more pressing matter of crabs?"

Anne walked forward and flicked at one of the creatures, making it land on its back with its legs flailing around in the air. Two other crabs poked back out of their holes. Max had the feeling they were plotting a retaliation for their fallen brethren.

"I have an idea," Eleanor said while looking at Anne. "Carry her over here."

The last thing Max expected was for Anne to stand up and promptly lift her off her feet like she was a bride. " _Arrêtez,_ what are we doing?" she asked as she grabbed onto Anne's neck and looked to the ground as Anne carried her easily past the front lines and over to Eleanor.

She was set back down easily and then Eleanor patted a spot on the sand between the two small forts she and Anne had been building. "Sit here," Eleanor smiled and reached up her hand.

Max looked around, seeing fewer crabs in the vicinity, while warily taking Eleanor's hand and settling down in the sand. 

Eleanor looked to Anne again and held out the bucket that they had been using to make their structures. "We'll build a castle for Max that is strong enough to keep out all of the vile critters. A castle fit for a queen," Eleanor said with a sparkle in her eye that meant she thought this was her latest, greatest plan. As far as her plans go, well, this was actually a decent one Max had to admit.

"You doing the back wall? 'Cause I want the front," Anne said while taking the bucket to gather a bit more wet sand for their fort.

Eleanor reluctantly agreed to the terms and the two set about expanding their structures around Max, who sat in the middle and felt her fear ease away as the two other women began consulting one another for ideas on defenses against crabs. The hilarity of it was not lost on her, and soon enough she was smiling and even somewhat enjoying the feel of sand under her fingertips. From inside the growing walls, Max started giving more decorations to the castle and to the corner towers. Sand was surprisingly easy to mold when wet. Before, she had only thought of it as material that would sift through your fingers without letting you get a grasp on it. Anne commented that even bricks needed sand, which Max knew, of course, but she hadn't really thought of sand in that way before. 

Everything felt like it was settling.

When Max was young, peace seemed to be elusive, something others would always have and she would always be hoping for, but now she was older and things were changing. Peace was not something she sat around waiting for any longer. Peace was something she had to fight for. Max had learned that with the guidance of Lieutenant McGraw, when she became instrumental in the upheaval of Noonan and Madam Mapleton from the brothel. Now, Max was the owner of the establishment, Nassau was all the better for it, and even the lieutenant couldn't take _The Harbour_  from her. She had earned her power and her peace. 

There was even peace to be found here, between Anne and Eleanor.

"You like crabs? For eating I mean," Anne asked with a wild grin that let Max knew exactly what she was thinking. 

Eleanor smoothed down the last section of her wall and looked up to Anne with bright eyes. "I love crabs," she answered. 

"Wasn't talkin—" Anne was stopped from completing her sentence when Max leaned forward over the outer wall and silenced her with a kiss. 

Yes, you had to sometimes fight for peace, but it would be yours in the end. 

Max pulled back, "We all like to eat crabs, this is wonderful."

She put on her best winsome smile and turned back to Eleanor to request that, in the name of Queen Max, they wage war on the enemy and eat their remains. There was no way Eleanor could resist such a display of power, and sure enough, Eleanor was rounding the castle and joining Anne with the bucket. 

With a warm heart and a warm smile, Max stayed in her castle and watched as the two entered the battlefield for her and gathered a number of the crabs for their dinner. The sounds of waves drowned out the conversations the two were having, but by the time they returned, it seemed there was a bonding that had occurred. All it took was the murder of a few crustaceans. Max would have come to the beach sooner if she had known it would have been the first step towards genuine friendship between Eleanor and Anne.

They walked together to Eleanor's tavern, where she promptly closed the doors on the evening business, brought them in back, and lit the stove. Over a delicious meal of cooked crabs, Anne shared with Eleanor the story of a seagull stealing her hat. 


End file.
